Automotive rear light

Abstract

An automotive light is provided having a substantially tub-shaped rear casing designed to fit to the vehicle body and a front lenticular half-shell which closes the opening of the rear casing and has at least one portion of transparent or semi-transparent material. The front lenticular half-shell includes a rear portion substantially aligned with the rear of the vehicle body, and a lateral portion substantially aligned with the side of the vehicle body. The automotive light also includes a strip light source designed to emit light when powered electrically and a light guide plate of photoconductive material shaped to substantially match the profile of the strip light source and housed inside the rear casing in a position substantially perpendicular to the rear portion of the front lenticular half-shell. A first side of the plate conducts light from the strip light source into the body of the light guide plate, and a second side of the plate directs light propagating in the light guide plate onto the lenticular half-shell. A transverse light-extracting band is provided to locally extract light onto a lateral portion of the front lenticular half-shell.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. Automotive light ( 1 ) comprising a substantially tub-shaped rear casing ( 2 ) designed to fit to a vehicle body; and a front lenticular half-shell ( 3 ), which closes an opening ( 2   a ) of the rear casing ( 2 ) and has at least one portion of transparent or semitransparent material; the front lenticular half-shell ( 3 ) having a rear portion ( 3   a ) substantially aligned with the rear of the vehicle body, and a lateral portion ( 3   b ) substantially aligned with the side of the vehicle body;
 the automotive light ( 1 ) being characterized by also comprising a strip light source ( 4 ) designed to emit light when powered electrically, and which is housed inside the rear casing ( 2 ) in a position facing said rear portion ( 3   a ) of the front lenticular half-shell ( 3 ); and a light guide plate ( 7 ) of photoconductive material, which is shaped to substantially match the profile of said strip light source ( 4 ), and is housed inside the rear casing ( 2 ) in a position substantially perpendicular to the rear portion ( 3   a ) of the front lenticular half-shell ( 3 ), so that a first side ( 7   a ) of the plate faces the strip light source ( 4 ) to catch and conduct the light from the strip light source ( 4 ) into the body of the light guide plate ( 7 ), and a second side ( 7   b ) of the plate, opposite said first side ( 7   a ), faces said rear portion ( 3   a ) of the front lenticular half-shell ( 3 ) to direct the light propagating in said light guide plate ( 7 ) onto the lenticular half-shell ( 3 ); 
 two faces of the light guide plate ( 7 ) being designed to conduct to the second side ( 7   b ) of the plate the light entering the body of the light guide plate ( 7 ) from the first side ( 7   a ); and one of the two faces of the plate having a transverse light-extracting band ( 7   c ) which extends substantially from the first side ( 7   a ) of the plate to the second side ( 7   b ) of the plate, and is designed to locally extract the light, propagating in that limited portion of the light guide plate ( 7 ), onto the lateral portion ( 3   b ) of the front lenticular half-shell ( 3 ), so as to form a transverse light strip on the lateral portion ( 3   b ) of the front lenticular half-shell ( 3 ). 
 
     
     
       2. Automotive light as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized by also comprising a light guide bar ( 8 ) of photoconductive material, which projects from the first side ( 7   a ) of the light guide plate ( 7 ), and is aligned with the transverse light-extracting band ( 7   c ); and an auxiliary light source ( 9 ), which emits light when powered electrically, and is positioned facing the far end ( 8   a ) of the light guide bar ( 8 ), so that the light from the auxiliary light source ( 9 ) enters the body of the light guide bar ( 8 ) and propagates inside the body of the light guide bar ( 8 ) into the light guide plate ( 7 ); the light guide bar side that is aligned with the transverse light-extracting band ( 7   c ) of the light guide plate ( 7 ) in turn having a longitudinal light-extracting band ( 8   c ) designed/shaped to locally extract the light, propagating inside the body of the light guide bar ( 8 ), onto the lateral portion ( 3   b ) of the front lenticular half-shell ( 3 ), so as to form/project on the lateral portion ( 3   b ) of the front lenticular half-shell ( 3 ) a narrow transverse light strip forming an extension of the transverse light strip produced by the transverse light-extracting band ( 7   c ). 
     
     
       3. Automotive light as claimed in  claim 2 , characterized in that the auxiliary light source ( 9 ) is powered simultaneously with the strip light source ( 4 ), so as to emit light simultaneously with said strip light source ( 4 ). 
     
     
       4. Automotive light as claimed in  claim 2 , characterized in that the light guide bar ( 8 ) projects from the first side ( 7   a ) of the light guide plate ( 7 ) towards the bottom of the rear casing ( 2 ), while locally substantially skirting the lateral portion ( 3   b ) of the front lenticular half-shell ( 3 ). 
     
     
       5. Automotive light as claimed in  claim 2 , characterized in that the longitudinal light-extracting band ( 8   c ) on the light guide bar ( 8 ) has a straight, serrated, substantially rack-like profile. 
     
     
       6. Automotive light as claimed in  claim 2 , characterized in that the light guide bar ( 8 ) is formed in one piece with the light guide plate ( 7 ). 
     
     
       7. Automotive light as claimed in  claim 2 , characterized in that the light guide bar ( 8 ) is defined by a photoconductive material rod ( 8 ) which is positioned with its near end ( 8   b ) resting on a seat ( 7   d ) specifically realized on said first side ( 7   a ) of the light guide plate ( 7 ). 
     
     
       8. Automotive light as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the transverse light-extracting band ( 7   c ) on the light guide plate ( 7 ) is located close to a lateral edge of the light guide plate ( 7 ). 
     
     
       9. Automotive light as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the transverse light-extracting band ( 7   c ) on the light guide plate ( 7 ) has a straight, serrated, substantially rack-like profile. 
     
     
       10. Automotive light as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized by also comprising an intermediate filtering body ( 12 ) made of transparent or semitransparent material and fitted to the light guide plate ( 7 ) so as to be traversed by the light issuing from the light guide plate ( 7 ) towards the rear portion ( 3   a ) and the lateral portion ( 3   b ) of the front lenticular half-shell ( 3 ). 
     
     
       11. Automotive light as claimed in  claim 10 , characterized in that the intermediate filtering body ( 12 ) is fitted to the light guide plate ( 7 ) and the light guide bar ( 8 ), so as to be traversed by the light issuing from the light guide plate ( 7 ) and the light guide bar ( 8 ) towards the front lenticular half-shell ( 3 ). 
     
     
       12. Automotive light as claimed in  claim 11 , characterized in that the intermediate filtering body ( 12 ) is defined by a rigid strip ( 12 ) of transparent or semitransparent material, which rests directly on the light guide plate ( 7 ) and light guide bar ( 8 ), and is shaped to substantially only cover the second side ( 7   b ) of the light guide plate ( 7 ), the transverse band of the light guide plate ( 7 ) from which the light diverted outwards by said transverse light-extracting band ( 7   c ) issues, and the portion of the light guide bar ( 8 ) from which the light diverted outwards by said longitudinal light-extracting band ( 8   c ) issues. 
     
     
       13. Automotive light as claimed in a  claim 1 , characterized in that the light guide plate ( 7 ) and/or the light guide bar ( 8 ) and/or the intermediate filtering body ( 12 ) are made of plastic material. 
     
     
       14. Automotive light as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the strip light source ( 4 ) comprises a number of light-emitting diodes ( 5 ) arranged side by side on a supporting board ( 6 ) designed to fit inside, roughly next to the bottom of, the rear casing ( 2 ), with the light-emitting diodes ( 5 ) facing the rear portion ( 3   a ) of the front lenticular half-shell ( 3 ). 
     
     
       15. Automotive light as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the auxiliary light source ( 9 ) is defined by at least one light-emitting diode ( 10 ) fitted to a supporting board ( 11 ) in turn designed to fit to the bottom of the rear casing ( 2 ), next to the far end ( 8   a ) of the light guide bar ( 8 ), with the light-emitting diode ( 10 ) facing the far end ( 8   a ). 
     
     
       16. Automotive light as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the strip light source ( 4 ) is substantially U- or C-shaped. 
     
     
       17. Automotive light as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized by also comprising at least one cup-shaped reflecting body ( 13 ,  14 ) housed inside the rear casing ( 2 ), with its concavity facing a corresponding area of the rear portion ( 3   a ) of the front lenticular half-shell ( 3 ); and an additional light source ( 15 ,  16 ), which emits light when powered electrically, and is located at the bottom of said cup-shaped reflecting body ( 13 ,  14 ); the cup-shaped reflecting body ( 13 ,  14 ) also being so located inside the rear casing ( 2 ) as to be at least partly surrounded by the light guide plate ( 7 ).